Thames Wreck Loses Masts in $13 Million Safety Move

Just under $13 million was spent to remove the three rusting masts from a World War II shipwreck in the Thames Estuary. Officials confirmed on October 23, 2026, that the delicate engineering project is now complete. The work was designed to prevent a potential disaster near London. The SS Richard Montgomery still holds a vast quantity of explosives underwater. The munitions have not been moved. Experts say they will continue to watch the site closely.

The Montgomery was one of roughly 2,700 ships built in the United States to support the Allied war effort. It ran aground on a sandbar off Sheerness in August 1944. The location is about 40 miles from the British capital. The ship was carrying munitions intended for the Allies after the D-Day landings. During salvage efforts, the vessel broke apart and sank. Its cargo holds contain an estimated 1,500 tons of explosives.

For decades, the three masts poking out of the water were a familiar sight to locals and passing vessels. Recent surveys showed the structure was deteriorating further. Fears grew that the masts could collapse and trigger an explosion. The vessel had begun to lean, according to Nolan Conway, a naval architect with Resolve Marine Group. The Florida-based firm was hired to take the masts down. Conway told CBS News that the fear was the masts could fall onto the cargo itself and cause it to detonate. He noted that some munitions are believed to have pressure fuses. An impact could potentially set them off.

The main challenge was cutting the masts away without shaking the wreck. Engineers had to ensure workers were not endangered. Conway’s team built a custom lifting frame to raise each mast clear. This prevented any swinging or swaying. They also used a remotely operated underwater diamond-wire saw. The device clamps around a mast with hydraulic arms and passes the saw through. This method meant no divers had to enter the water.

U.K. maritime minister Keir Mather told the House of Commons this week that the complex project was completed ahead of schedule. It was also finished on budget. Mather said the masts had put a significant load on the structure. Removing them reduces that risk. It supports the long-term safe management of the site.

The explosives remain in place because removing them would carry considerable risks. Experts disagree about what a detonation would do. Conway said estimates range from effects on the shoreline to a tidal wave traveling up the Thames. Another possibility is a fairly minor event that might only close a nearby shipping channel. He described the range of impacts as large, but noted that none of them are really good. Officials still judge the overall chance of an explosion to be low.

The government has long kept an exclusion zone around the wreck. It lies about 1.5 miles off the Sheerness coast. Mather said the site will continue to be subject to continuous monitoring and control through that zone. This ensures the area remains safe for surrounding waters and land.

The removed masts are expected to be preserved. Mather said they have been moved to the Historic Dockyard Chatham museum. They will be displayed in recognition of the ship's historic significance. The display honors the ship's role in supporting Allied forces during the war. More than eight decades after it failed to reach Europe, the Montgomery and its cargo will stay where they came to rest. The ship is now entirely out of sight but far from forgotten.